Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salzburg and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,695 in Salzburg, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salzburg
Learn more

Salzburg Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Salzburg

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,695

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salzburg and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Salzburg and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,695 per month in Salzburg vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salzburg $2,695
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,999 per month in Salzburg vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salzburg $3,999
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,304 per month in Salzburg vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salzburg $5,304
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Salzburg costs about 124% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Salzburg sits 98% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 €15.96

$10.92 MX$205

63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 €69.8

$43.37 MX$815

79.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 €11.81

$11.78 MX$221

11.88%

Cappuccino

$5.25 €4.71

$3.81 MX$71.6

37.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.13

$1.28 MX$24.10

260.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.70

$0.78 MX$14.71

429.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.30

$3.17 MX$59.5

86.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.59

$4.93 MX$92.7

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.58

$1.41 MX$26.43

24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.22 MX$41.66

39.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.42 MX$26.64

82.39%

Eggs

$5.14 €4.61

$2.52 MX$47.41

103.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.76 €19.50

$7.26 MX$137

199.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.00 €13.44

$7.70 MX$145

94.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.25 €21.73

$12.69 MX$239

91.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.78 MX$52.3

2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.37 MX$25.71

71.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 €3.47

$2.55 MX$47.94

51.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.71 €6.91

$2.12 MX$39.90

263.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.94 MX$36.43

11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.89 MX$35.44

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.15 MX$21.55

70.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.18 MX$22.16

-16.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.38

$4.30 MX$80.7

65.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$9.95 MX$187

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.58 MX$29.76

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.67 MX$50.2

-29.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.44

$0.55 MX$10.40

394.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 €73.0

$26.62 MX$500

205.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 €4.40

$4.97 MX$93.4

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.99

$3.33 MX$62.6

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.44 MX$27.14

31.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.3K €26.2K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

41.75%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.8K €29.4K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

39.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$386 €346

$84.8 MX$1,594

355.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.02 €12.56

$23.41 MX$440

-40.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.88 €30.36

$28.66 MX$539

18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 €34.63

$57.1 MX$1,072

-32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.06 €26.05

$28.91 MX$543

0.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.63 €13.11

$5.14 MX$96.6

184.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$438 €393

$207 MX$3,882

112.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K €30.6K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

770.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$43.35 MX$815

163.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 €53.5

$41.44 MX$779

43.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$74.2 MX$1,394

52.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €126

$89.3 MX$1,677

57.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,314

$980 MX$18.4K

49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 €1,018

$381 MX$7,157

198.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,421 €2,169

$1,708 MX$32.1K

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 €1,777

$1,075 MX$20.2K

84.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,690 €7,787

$3,943 MX$74.1K

120.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,963 €5,343

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-3.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 €2,946

$735 MX$13.8K

347.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

11.45

-68.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Salzburg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Salzburg

$1.1K 42.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 66.5% $755

Groceries & Markets

Salzburg

$436 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 41.6% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salzburg

$434 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 68.5% $297

Eating Out

Salzburg

$320 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 36.7% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Salzburg

$192 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 41.9% $80

Getting Around

Salzburg

$108 4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 53.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Salzburg

$68 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,467 in Salzburg versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Salzburg are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Salzburg versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Salzburg

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

04:31 4:31 AM

6 h behind Salzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,083

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salzburg Playa del Carmen 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Salzburg
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Salzburg vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salzburg is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,042 per month in Salzburg and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,467 in Salzburg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,695 in Salzburg and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Salzburg at $2,695. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salzburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salzburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.